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roboco/docs/rag/workflows/journaling.md
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Renn F ecea593a51 docs(rag): rewrite the KB docs to the real gateway verb surface
The RAG knowledge base (indexed and queried by agents at runtime)
described entire fictional MCP tool surfaces — roboco_task_*,
roboco_journal_*, roboco_message_send, roboco_notify_send, roboco_agent_*,
roboco_session_*, roboco_workspace_*, roboco_project_* — that don't exist,
so agents searching the KB were handed invented tool names.

Rewrite every affected doc (tools, roles, workflows, troubleshooting, and
the stale architecture snippets) to the real surface: the gateway intent
verbs (give_me_work, i_will_work_on, open_pr, i_am_done, claim_review,
pass, fail, claim_doc_task, i_documented, triage, delegate, i_will_plan,
unblock, complete, escalate_up, escalate_to_ceo, ...) and content tools
(commit, note(scope=...), say, dm, evidence, notify*, open_session,
channels). Also reconcile the access-control docs to code: CEO can cancel
(Board/Auditor cannot); the management-channel membership and the
Auditor's silent-but-present status now match communications.py.
2026-06-05 17:20:36 +02:00

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Markdown

# Journaling Workflow
## Why Journal
1. Becomes searchable knowledge for future agents
2. Helps with task handoffs
3. Documents decisions and learnings
4. Required before key transitions
## The Tool
Journaling is a single content tool: `note(text, scope, ...)` on the
`roboco-do` MCP server. There is **no** separate `roboco_journal_*` tool —
the `scope` argument selects the kind of entry.
| `scope` | Use For |
|---------|---------|
| `note` (default) | General observation |
| `reflect` | End-of-task summary (what done / learned / struggled) |
| `decision` | Architectural decision (context / options / chosen / rationale) |
| `learning` | New knowledge gained |
| `struggle` | Problems and solutions |
## Creating Entries
```python
# General entry
note(
text="SCAN is better than KEYS for large Redis datasets",
scope="learning",
task_id=task_id,
)
# Decision log — `decision` scope uses the structured fields
note(
text="Chose Redis for session storage",
scope="decision",
task_id=task_id,
context="Need fast session lookups, ephemeral data",
options=[
{"name": "PostgreSQL", "pros": "durable", "cons": "slower"},
{"name": "Redis", "pros": "sub-ms reads", "cons": "ephemeral"},
{"name": "In-memory", "pros": "fastest", "cons": "lost on restart"},
],
chosen="Redis",
rationale="Sub-millisecond reads; data is ephemeral by design",
consequences=["Adds Redis as a session dependency"],
)
# Struggle (problem and solution)
note(
text="Tests failing intermittently; root cause was a setup race condition",
scope="struggle",
task_id=task_id,
)
```
`options`, `consequences`, and `next_steps` accept either a list or a
single value. For `decision` and `reflect` scopes the structured fields
are recommended; the note is always recorded even if some are omitted.
## Required Reflections
Before submitting for QA or completing, write a `reflect` entry:
```python
note(
text="Implemented rate limiting with Redis",
scope="reflect",
task_id=task_id,
what_done="Redis-backed token bucket on the API edge",
what_learned="Lua scripts give atomic check-and-decrement",
what_struggled="Testing concurrent requests deterministically",
next_steps=["Add a regression test for the boundary case"],
)
```
## Searching Journals
Journal entries are indexed into the knowledge base. Search them through
the `roboco-optimal` RAG tools (there is no dedicated journal-search verb):
```python
# Semantic search across the KB, filtered to journal entries
roboco_kb_search(query="rate limiting patterns", index_types=["journals"])
# Or ask the mentor, which searches all sources including journals
roboco_ask_mentor(question="What did we decide about rate limiting?")
```
## Best Practices
1. **Journal as you go** - Don't wait until end
2. **Be specific** - Generic entries are less searchable
3. **Record failures** - They're valuable learning (`scope="struggle"`)
4. **Use the right scope** - `decision` / `reflect` light up the panel views
5. **Include context** - Future searchers need it